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SPEECH 



HENRY L. CLINTON, 



DELIVRRKI) nEFOUE THE 



Democratic Republican General Comnfiittee 

OF THE CITY OF NEW YORK, 

SEPTEMBER Stli, 1878, 

.i^T T.^nvEis/n.^Kr'^r xi ..^ i_. i_. . 



IMPORTANCE OF ELECTING A DEMOCRATIC CON- 
GRESS, AND A DEMOCRATIC UNITED STATES 
SENATOR. 

IMPORTANCE OF HARMONY IN THE DEMOCRATIC 
PARTY. 

TAMMANY HALL THE GIBRALTAR OF DEMOCRACY 

THE COURSE OF THE TAMMANY AND THE ANTI 
TAMMANY DEMOCRATS, DURING THE YEARS 

1873, 1874, 1875, 187G and 1877, REVIEWED. 



\^ 



C5< 



ADDRESS 

OF 



HENRY L. CLINTON, 



CHAIRMAN OF THE 



Democratic Republican Genera! Connmittee 

OF THE CITY OF NEW YORK, 

DELIVERED AT TAMMANY HALL, 
September 5th, 1878. 



Gentlemen of the GENEitAL C'oalmittee: 

As the jiSRembliug of tliis Committee is the opening of the 
Fall eani})aign, I have thought it not ina})propriate to the occa- 
sio]i to submit some views touching the prescnit condition of 
political aitairs. The ensuing cilection, in its far reaching con- 
sequences, is scarcely second in importance to an}' held within 
the recollection of any now prescmt. 

IMPORTANCE OF ELFGTINd A J)EiM()CUATlC 
CONGKESS, AND A DEMOCRATIC UNFfED 
STATES SENATOR. 

A new Congress is to Ije elected; a body that may have to 
decide the most momentous cpiestion which can ever arise in 
our national affairs, namely: — who shall be President of the 
United States. Such Avill be the grave responsibility cast upon 
the next Congress in the event of no election by the people in 
1880. Questions of the highest importance, deeply allecting 
the interests and pros])ects of the xVmerican people must be 



passed upon by the Congress so soou to bo elected. It must 
be decided at the polls, in November, whetlier tlie next House 
of Representatives will have such a decided Democratic majority 
as to ensure a continuance of the system of retrenchment and 
reform, which has characterized the Democratic party there 
from the first session, after it obtained ascendancy, wlien it re- 
duced our national expenditures over thirty millions of dollars 
per annniii. With a Ilepublican Senate and a He]^)ublican Pres- 
ident, the only wonder is, that a Democratic Congress has 
acheived so much in favor of retrenchment and gocjd govern- 
ment. 

In former times the United States Senate was regarded as 
tlie most able, dignified and important legislative body in the 
world. The extent to which it has depreciated in public es- 
teem, because its roll of membership contained so many He- 
publican carpet-baggers and spoils men, I need not expatiate 
upon at this time. The reign of carpet-baggers at the South 
was as destructive as the plague at this time, depopulating 
many of her fairest and most important cities. Now that the 
United States Senate is so nearly purged (^f its worst elements, 
the coming elections must deiterminc whether the Empire State, 
wdth her live millions of population, her great industries, her 
immense enterprises, her vast business interests, exteiiding over 
every state of our Union, shall be represented in the United 
States Senate by two sterling Democrats, whose votes on all 
important measures will represent the views of the great major- 
ity of her people ; or whether we are to havi; in the future (as 
at present) one Republican and one Democratic Senator, the 
one ofltsetting the other, so that, to all intents and pur])oses, 
our great State will not be represented at all in that illustrious 
body. 

In order to secure the election of a Democratic United 
States Senator it is^^necessar}- that we have a large majority in 
the Assembly. With a view to the election of a Ilepublican 
United States Senator in 1879, the Republicans, last Fall, elected 
a decided majority of the members of the.present Senate. 



■s.^ 

y/^ 



IMPOirrANCE OF llAUMOXY. 

If Democrats are in earnest, and Jesin," to overcome this ma- 
jority on joint l)allot, it beliooves them to see to it that not so 
much as one Assembly District be lost to the Democratic party 
by reason of feuds or quarrels or diiterenees of any Icind. Every 
Democrat througliout the State should, l)y all honest and 
honoral)lc means, ^vork to ensui'e success, as if the entire result 
depended upon liis individual exertions. The loss of a single 
Democratic votu may lose an Assembly District. For tlie want 
of one additional Deiuocratic Assend)lynian's vote tlie Le<'"isla- 
ture, on joint ballot, may fail to elect a l)(nuocratic United 
States Senator. No one can measure the Gonse([uences which 
may flow from the a])athy or ]iegK>ct of duly on the part of a 
single Democratic voter. Not many years since a Democratic 
Governor was elected in one of the Eastern States by a majority 
of one. Tlie Ek'ctoral Commission l)y n inajority of one, in 
elfect, decided that the present ile facto incumbent of the Presi- 
dcmtial office liad a majority of one electoral vote. Let every 
Democratic voter exert himself as though his vote woidd result 
in a majority of one in favor of evc>ry Democratic candidate for 
Avhom lie casts a baUot. In view of the momentous interests at 
stake in the coming election, I liope — I sincerely trust — tJiat all 
Democrats, in every j)art of the Stat(^, will heal u}) divisions 
among theinsclves ; cVr^se nj) f/ir i-anks an'/ j)f('ss on to lu'ctoru. 
The Democratic party stands so well with the people, is so 
powerful in numlxn-s, so strong in tlic; justice of its cause, that 
it cannot Ix; beaten by its legitimate! and ancient foe, the Ilepub- 
lican party. Tlie only question is whetlier the Democratic 
party will be guilt}' of the stupendous folly — the downwright in- 
sanity — of defeating itself. How much moi-e sensible ; how 
much more worthy the occasion for Democrats to act harmon- 
iously, and devote the next ( w o unmllis t<^ t)rganizing victoiy, 
instead of occupying perha[)s a twelve-month after election in 
wrangling over tlu; (jutstion as to what party o)- faction or 
clicjue was guilty of precipitating a defeat at the })()lls. 

It is the part of wisdom to l(jok e'xisting facts — ^actualities— 
s((uarely in the face. Two years ago 1,281,2(55 citizens cast 
their ballots in favor of the Democratic niuninees for President 



an 1 Vic3-Pro.si(lout. Our candidates were 'elected. They had 
not only a large majority of tlie popular, but] of the Electoral 
vote. By the nefarious conduct of lleturning Boards, and for 
the reason that a majority of the Electoral Commission, shut 
tlniir eyes to actual facts, and would not permit the truth to be 
proved, tlie great inajority of the people of the United States 
who had lawfully elected a President and a Vice-President, were 
cheated out of their choice, and, to all intents and pur})Oses, 
r()bl)ed of the )-ight of suffrage. The rights of the majority 
were awarded to the ininority. Those who brougljt tdjout this 
result acted u])on iho same principh; which goveruedfrweed and 
his contV(l(n;d('S in crime, in tli<> palmy days of repeating, bal- 
lot-box stuffing and false counting. When other attempts at 
frand failed, they gave the votes of the victorious candidate to 
his opponent who had been defeated at the polls, and thereupon 
certified that he had been elected. 

For the last four or live years the Democrats have elected 
tlieir state ticket by a large majority. Yet, with a single ex- 
ception, tlie Piepublicans have liad a majority in the Assembly. 
In 1S72 the Bepublicans carried this State by a majority of 
5o/)'M. In 1871 a great Democratic tidal wave swept over the 
whole country. In tlie Fall election of that year the Demo- 
craiic majority in this State was 50,317. The Democratic ma- 
jority outside of the City of New York was 7,789. The conse- 
(pience was that, in the j^ear 187-1, the Democrats electeel a de- 
cided majority of tlie members of the Assembly. That victory 
at the polls resulted not only in the election of our entire state 
ticket, l)ut it e!ia])]e(l Democratic Assemblyinen, on joint ballot, 
to vote; against the nominee of a Piepublican Senate for United 
States Senator, and to send to the United States Senate the 
distijignislunl Democrat wlio, two years Ix^'on^, was our candidate 
for (T()V(>rnor. Had tlie election for United States Senator oc- 
curred in any other year, this great State, notwithstanding a 
large majority of her citizens vote the Democratic ticket, would 
b(^ at tlu^ present time misrepresented in the Senate of the 
United States by two liepublicaus. 



TAMMANY HALL THE GIBRALTER OF 
DEMOCRACY. 

In 187G, although the Dc^nocracy of tlio citj' did far better 
than in 1874, yet outside of New York the llepubHcan majority 
was 21,227. The New York Democracy (there being no other 
than the Tammany Hall organization), fought the battle of the 
Democratic party of the State and of the Union, and won the 
most splendid victory ever recorded in the political annals of 
this country. The Democracy of this city cast 112,530 votes 
for the Democratic ticket. Tannnany Hall was then, and is now, 
the Gibralter of Democracy. Although outside of New ^ork 
Democrats were vigilent, active and energetic, yet the com- 
parative vote of the Republicans, was so much larger than in 
1874, that the fate of the State and National ticket hung upon 
the vote of this city. The Democracy here had to overcome 
the Republican majority above referred to, of 21,227. We 
advanced on our comparative vote of two years before. We gave 
the Democratic ticket the magnificent, the unprecedented, ma- 
jority of 53,909. Yet, although we advanced so largely on the 
comparative vote of 1874, the Democracy outside of this city 
receded to such an extent that the Democratic party lost the 
fruits of that victory, so far as tlie Legislature was concerned. 
With a Democratic majority in this city of over 50,000, the Repub- 
licans elected a majority of Assemblymen. So long as the 
present iniquitous appointment exists, thougli all tlie citizens of 
New York, entitled to the right of suffrage, should vote the 
Democratic ticket, but little headway would thereby be made 
towards electing a majority of members of the Assembly. New 
York will do all in her power, but she cannot do everything. If 
our fellow-Democrats throughout the State will second the 
efforts of New York City, and with the skill, energy and fidelity 
that characterized their efforts in 1874, organize in their respective 
counties, cities, towns and vilhiges, they will insure a triumph 
to the Democratic part}', that will result in giving to our distin- 
guished Senator, Francis Kernan, a colleague in the United 
States Senate, of whom the Empire State will have reason to 
be proud. For three successive years the Republican majority' 



in the State Legislature, has deliberately and wantonly, in de- 
fiance of the most peremptory mandates of the Constitution, 
refused to apportion the representation of the people of the 
State, in accordance with the census. In this way the Eei)ubli- 
can party has maintained its ascendency in both branches of the 
Legislature. Only once since 1870, have the Democrats had a 
majority in the Assembly. Under a fair apportionment, made 
in accordance with the letter and spirit of the Constitution, the 
Democratic party would have no difhculty in electing a major- 
ity of members of the Asseml)ly and Senate. If this year, de- 
spite the present iniquitous apportionment, we carry a large 
majorit}- of the Assendoly Districts, we may be able (although 
there be a Republican Senate) to pass an Apportionment Bill 
which a Democratic governor can conscientiously sign. 

THE COURSE OF THE TAMMANY AND THE 
ANTI-TAMMANY DEMOCRATS DURING THE 
YEARS 1873, 1871, 1875 and 1870, REVIEWED. 

The party, iu this Cit}', is so large that whatever course is 
taken by the regular Democratic organization, there will be 
many Democrats outside who will find fault. To please all is 
impossible. Some who claim to be Democrats carp at this 
this, the regular — the only regular — Democratic organization in 
this City. They profess to doubt our good faith ; they see fit 
to question our devotion to tlie cause of Democracy and good 
government. If the veil of ol)livion could be drawn over the 
past, and loud-mouthed professions, now made for the purpose 
of riding into office and of oljtaiuiug political patronage, were 
the sole tests of devotion to tiic Democratic ]iarty, it would not 
be wise to attempt to define or limit tlie merit which would be 
ascribed to them. It seems to me that the fairer way would be 
to test tlie sincerity of our professions and those of our oppo- 
nents by the past. What is our record ? What record have 
they made for themselves? I would not forget the past. I 
would raise the curtain l<i<jJi, turn on tlie lifjlds, concentrate public 
attention upon what tliis organization has accomplished-, as well 
as what its opponents have done and attempted to do since the 



ovortliroAv of the Tweed Riuu". Tn 1S72 Williani J'\ M.iveinever, 
the Ju>])ul)li('aii caiuli(l;it(\ w;is elected ]\[;iV()V. His term of 
otlUce coiniucneed on the ih'st of Januai-y foUowiiiij;. In 1S73 
tlu^ Anti-Tanuuiuiy Democrats orgaiii/ed. During- tlie I-'all 
campaign tlieir org-aiiizatiou joiiunl the ]ic])ul)li(;an party and 
divided nominations ^\■it]l them. TJu> combination was igno- 
ininiously (h'feated b}- Tammany HalL In LSTl tliis organiza- 
tion triumphantly ek'ctcd its umnici])al ticktit. The Anti-Tam- 
many Democrats did not unitt; with the llcpublicans thai, year, 
simply because the L{epul)lican paity would havt; nothing to do 
with them. The following year our Anti-Tammany op[)oiients 
made common c:ius(! with the Republicans. The consecjuence 
was, the l{e})ublicau party, aided by its Anti-Tammany allies, se- 
cured a great victory. A Kepul )lican i)istrict Attorney, a Republi- 
can Judge, and a liepublicaii Sui'rogate w<'re elected. In the fol- 
lowing year this organization, in a spii-it of great lil>cra,lity and 
niagnanimity, consented that a ])ortion of tin; Anti-TammanN- 
delegates should sit in the State; C'onvention and have a repre- 
sentation on the State ('ommitt(H\ We offered to divide nomi- 
nations for municipal offices with them if they would name for 
our consideration fit and proper candidates. They failed to 
agree among tln'mselves, and finally gave us to understand tlial, 
fliey Avould support oui' entire ticket on condition that it should 
contain flu; name of no Anti-Tammany man. Wo com])lied 
with their wishes and nominated none but Tammany Hall Dem- 
ocrats. Of coui'se our ticket was elected liy an o\ frwhebning 
m.-'.joi'ity. 

IX 1S77 TIM-: .WTl-TAMM.VXY DlvMOdtATS. 
TO ALL iViM<:XTS AXD PlKiM ).-h:S. .MHRdLD 

TiiHiii ()Ivm;axiz ATiox LX ^riiK i^KPrr,- 

LICAX TAiri^V. 

The next year (1877) the Anti-'l'ammany Democrats, while 
tin; Legislature' was in session, made no secict of their hostilitv 
to the Democratic ])ai'ty in this ( 'ity and in this State. The 
Democratic nu'inbcrs of the Assend)ly and of the Senate almost 
unaiiiuKJUsh' voted against (M'rtain Dills relating to this ('it\. 



10 

^\lli(•ll \vcrc jilikc iiiicoDstitiilioiinl ;ni(l (Icstruclivc^ of its host in- 
terests. These Wills were made ])artv measures. The l^eiiio- 
cruiie party was i-a!!.ij;(Hl on oii(> side and the Itepulilican ])arty 
upon the other. A Demoeraiie (lovernor acted witli liis ])art_v 
.and vetoed these Bills. The so-ealh-d Anti-Taiumanv Demo- 
crats made h;!ste early in the contest to rang'e themselves on the 
side of the ll( ])ul)]ican ]nirty. Latei' h\ tlie year tliey organized 
])rinei]>aliy on tlu^ basis of ojipositiou to (Tov(M;no!' liobinsoii. 
Por his Democratic and statesmanlike course in respect to these 
Bills, they diuiounced him in unmeasured terms. 

IN 1877. OIM^OSITION TO (JOVKIlNOil IJOIUN- 
SOX AND THE DKMOdJATIC PAIITY [N 
THE STATE. AS IJEPIIESENTED IX THE 
LEGISLATIRE. THE 15AS1S OF THE ANTI- 
TA^LMAXY ORGANIZATIOX. 

Last year there were two so-called Auti-Tauiinany Demo- 
cratic organizations — the so-called Independent Dt ni(X*iacy, and 
the so-ealled County Democracy. About the last of . Inn (^ or 
the ist ^)f Jnly, 1S77, the so-called Inde})endent Democracy 
professed to organize, and issued an oiliciad address stating the 
])asis of their organization. '!'he following is an extract tVom 
that address : 

"To Tin: IxuKrKNnK.NT DiarocKAcv of the (^itv of Nkw York. — 
* * * '-''■ * * Till' fives <)/' /III' TainiiKiiK/ (roc- 

I'rnor \ fjiiciii.< Jlnhiiisou |, ii-In'n //if cause oik/ /he puf/M/.st: //ktco/' Ojipcar, 
mail ire// s/ur//e /lie /'riein/s <>/ Denioeya./ie Oovernnteii/, and shmi/d drive 
iii/o ac/irc emieer/ed ejjoii a/l idio ealiie /he jtrineip/es (jf free ijorern- 
)iiiui/, all vh" resjiee/ hoties/ij in j}ul>/ie and in prira/e /ife/' 

After referring to tlie vetoes of (lovervor iioWinson the ad- 
dress continued as follows : 

'• 'l\i)t satislicd with sliowin,^ liis suh.servii'iicy in Ali);niy, the 
(iovernor of the Jiliiipire State, iniiiiediaiely after cloiug TaiinnaJi} s 
bidding- by refusiiiLi,- to ap[)rov*' tlir Oinniluis Bilb and after a con- 
test l)etweeu the friends and fee.-; of refeirni abno^t Tinprecedented, 
comes to Ni w Yoi-k to rcciivc; and dues receive publicly the tli;inks 
of Joiiu Kelly and liis f((lU)wers for wlcit lie did or ne^^lected to do. 
And this is the result of the pled^cis made at our last State and Na- 
tional Conventions, 'i'liis is the manner in which the promises of 



11 

the plutform accepttul by oui* fandidiites for the vliUii executive 
offices of the State and Nation have been kept. Reform has given 
place to trickery and bargains, and the fair promises of the ]iast are 
forgotten in tlio race for the spoils of the future.'' 

The other orgaiiizatiou whicli placed itself in direct opposi- 
tion to the ])cniocratic party in this City and in this State was 
the so-called New York County Democracy, which according 
to the New York Times of September 11, 1877, organized on the 
previous day. That paper says : 

" The recent elected delegates to form the Anti-Tammany County 
Convention for th(^ ])r(isent year met last evening in the main hall of 
('ooper Institute. Tiie Committee is composed of 530 delegates, 
elected in ]:)ursuance of a call of the old Executive Committee, and is 
to last until next fall, unless it should be determined to elect a new 
Committee early in 1878. Emanuel B. Hart, Chairman of the Exe- 
cutive Committee, called the meeting to order, au<l Ira Shafer was 
chosen Chairman ])ro frm. 

****** -K- * 

"On Mr. Shafer taking the chaii- he was received Avith gr(>at ap- 
plause. Among other things Mr. Shafer said: Tammany Hall pre- 
tends to be the friend of Governor Robinson, and in favor of reform 
measui'es, and yet it op])Osed his nomination, but succeeded in ob- 
taining his veto of l)ills looking to reform measures, and then he 
belittled himself by coming down to N(!W York and accepting a re- 
ception from the corrupt Tammany leadei's. 

* --f * -X- * * * =!' 

" The Anti-Tammany organization must see to it that not a Tam- 
many Senator or Assemblyman shall be el(!cted from this City. They 
could do it, and he would rather, in order to see this done, that any 
one short of Satan himself, should be elected to the Legislature in- 
stead of a Tammany man." 

If the spirit of this address had been carried out, all or 
nearly all elected to the Assembly and to the Senate would have 
been Republicans, as Tammany Hall was the only Democratic 
organization in this City. In this address Mr. Shafer further 
said : 

"If any unbroken delegation was sent to Albany 0])poscd to 
Tammany Hall Governor Robinson would not dare veto any reform 
measure "that they might supjiort, and it was necessary to show him 
that Tammany did not rule this City. Anti-Tanimany men, Inde- 
pendent Democrats, Republicans, Bread AVinners and every such 
organization should combine against the common enemy and roll u}) 



12 

a majority of 50,000, and then John Kelly would suy as ho said on a 
memorable occasion before, ' I have tried to give you a good govern- 
ment but you would not have it.''' 

Among tlio resolutions read and unanimoush^ adopted, were 
the following : 

"Whcreax, the Tammany Hall organization is objectionable to the 
"Democracy of this City for the following reasons. 

* * s :f: * -;:• 

Fourth. — Pretending to speak for the Democracy of the City of 
New York, it uses its inlluence with a Democratic (governor, and 
Democratic members of the Legislature, to defeat all legislations 
tending to lessen the burdens of the people, by reducing the com- 
pensation and the number of our public servants." 

Another resolution ])roceeded to state, that tlio friends of 
that orgauizatiou deserved great credit for their '"uutireing ex- 
ertions, in securing the passage through the legislature of the 
several reform measures" for New York City. This refers to 
the bills which Govenor Bobinson vetoed. 

Another resolution was as follows : • 

"Jiesolvcd, That the Tammany Hall oi-ganizaLion '■'■ '■■ * * 
prevailed on the Governor to veto those salutary measures, thus pre- 
venting a large reduction of the tax leyj of this year." 

The Eepublican platform adopted at Rochester, September 
26, 1877, stated as follows: 

In the affairs of our great State, always vital to the people, and 
at this time of paramount importance, Ave declare the Republican 
party the oidy hope of thorough reform and frugal government, 
and arraign the Democratic ])arty for tVJse pretenses, for perpetua- 
ting existing abuses, and for slavish subservience to the most cor- 
rupt and dangerous inliuences. In support of this declaration we 
appeal to these facts; 

****** 

That in the last Legislature the Republican majority passed two 
constitutional amendments, and other important measures of munic- 
ipal retrenchment and reform, rechicing salaries, abolishing sinecures, 
simi)lifying the administration, and allecting an annual saving of hun- 
dreds of tliousands of dollars, every one of which measures was re- 
sisted by the Democratic minority, and vetoed by the Democratic Ex- 
ecutive at the behest of Tammany Hall, thus willfully continuing op- 
pressive abuses of local administration." 



13 

The so-callod reform measures referred to in in Mr. Sliafci's 
address, and in tlie platform of tlic llepuljlicau couveuticn at 
Ro(;]iester, were measures wliieli were op]')osed by the Demo- 
cratie party in both houses of the Legishiture. In the Assem- 
l)ly, with one exception, every Democrat voted against these 
measures, and every liepul)Hcan for them. The only Senators 
professing to be Democrats who voted for these bills, were Sena- 
tors Morrisey and Bixby. All the other Democratic Senators 
voted agaiiist them. 

IX 1877, THE ANTI-TAMMANY ORGANIZATIONS 
COMBINED WITH THE IIEPUBLICANS TO 
ELECT REPUr,LICAN ASSEMBLYxMEN AND 
UEIU'DLHWN SENATORS— TO ELECT A RE- 
PUliLICAN INITED STATES SENATOR TO 
JMH^VENl^ A JUST APPORTIONMENT BILL, 
AND TO DISERANCIIISE TWO-THIRDS OF 
THE DEMOCRATIC VOTERS IN THE CITIES 
OF THIS ST.VTE. 

In previous years it was pretended that the anti-Tammany 
and Republican combination related only to municipal affairs. 
But last year the Anti-Tammany Democrats threw oil* the mask 
and voted for liepublicans, not only for municipal olhcers but 
for the Assembly and Senate. The Republicans and Anti-Tam- 
many Democrats had but one ticket. There was no distinction 
Ijetwecn an Anti-Tahnnany Democrat and a Republican ; " they 
twain were one." The Anti-Tammany Deanjcrats did their 
utmost to elect Republican State Senators, to the end that they 
might vote for a Republican United States Senator. Had they 
not joined the Republican party last Pall, and by announcing 
tlieir intention to vote directly for Republican Assemblymen 
and Republican Senators, stimulated the Republican party 
throughout the State to great and unusual exertions, and thus 
exerted a discouraging and demoralizing inliuence among Dem- 
ocrats outside of the city of New York, it is quite probable that 
there would have been a Democratic majority in both branches 
of the Legislature. We should have had a Democratic Senate 



14 

to take part the next session in tlio election of a United 
States Senator. Then a just and rigliteons Apportionment Bill 
could have passed, which would have secured the ascendencj- of 
the Democratic party in both branches of the Legislature, and 
in all Departments of the State Government for the next twenty 
years. 

The Anti-Tammany Democrats, who now question the good 
faith, the loyalty of Tammany Hall to the party, were not only 
willing, in the way I have described, to do all in their poAver to 
elect a Bepublican United States Senator, to prevent the pas- 
sage of a just apportionment Bill, to the end that the Btepub- 
lican party, although largely in the minority at the polls, might, 
for an indefinite period, secure a majority in both branches of 
the Legislature ; but these Anti-Tammany Democrats did all in 
their power to disfranchise about three-fourths of the Demo- 
cratic voters in the large Democratic cities of this State. 

In 1875 a Commission was appointed to devise and report a 
plan for the government of cities. In 1877 that Commission 
made its Eeport to the Legislature, recommending certain con- 
stitutional amendments, by the adoption of which its plan for 
governing cities could be carried into effect. Although it con- 
tained some good points, mairdy of an abstract and negative 
character, yet, taken as a whole, a worse system of municipal 
government was never devised by the wit of man. It provided 
that a Board of Finance should be elected which would virtu- 
ally constitute the entire city government. For the members of 
this Board only those could vote who had paid an annual tax 
of a certain amount, or a certain yearly rent.' I can not ])etter 
express the position which the Democratic party and the Re- 
publican party, with their Anti-Tammany allies, occupied with 
reference to that subject than by citing a portion of the plat- 
form unanimously adopted at our County Convention, held in 
Tammany Hall on the 18tli day of October last. After denouncing 
the great electoral fraud, b}' which the Republicans stole the 
Presidency, and after denouncing the Rej^ublican majority in 
two successive Legislatures for not having passed an Apportion- 
ment Bill, the platform proceeded as follows : 

" Jlcsolfcd, That not content with thus defraiuliiJi;- over four mil- 
lions of voters of the rij^lit of suffrago in respect to the Presideii- 



tial election ; not content with nullifying tlie votes of over half a mil- 
lion of Democrats in tlie Empire State, with re^-ard to members of 
the Legislature, the lle})nblican \)iiYty has thrown off all disgnise and 
boldly avows the determination to disfranchise two hundred thousand 
voters in the cities of New York and Brooklyn, by limiting the riglit 
to vote for most important <*ity olii(;ers to those who have paid an 
annual tax of a certain amount, or a certain yearly rent. 

*' i?('so/c(v/, That inasmuch as all the llepnb ican members of the 
Senate and Assembly during the last session of the Legishitur*; voted 
for, and all the Democratic members, with one exce])tion, voted 
against the proposed constitutional amendment thus limiting the 
right of sullrage ; inasmuch as the recent Kepublican State Conven- 
tion, held at llochester, in its platform virtually sanctioned and 
adopted this proposed constitutional amendment ; inasmuch as it is 
advocated by the Rej^ublican newspaper's ; inasmuch as the Kepub- 
lican party, tlirough its press iind otherwise, has oi)enly avowed tlnit 
the main object in appealing to disaffected Democrats to form an al- 
liance with them, is to (jlect Rejiuijlican members of the S(!nate and 
Assembly who will again vote for this i)roposed constitutional am- 
endment (and tor otlier l)ills o})posed by the Democratic partly as 
represented in the Legislattire, and by the Democratic Governor ) ; 
the Rei)ublican party and all who in this campaign ally themselves 
with that party cannot escape the responsibility of seeking thus to 
disfranchise two hundred thousand legal voters in New York and 
Brooklyn. 

" 7fe.so/(Y?r/, That as the law now staiids the right to vote for all 
elective city oflicers can only be forfeited by a conviction of crime 
punishable by imprisonment in the State prison, this atteni])t of the 
Republican party to place two lunidred thousand legal voters in New 
York and Brooklyn on :i par with State })rison convicts should be 
rebuked at the })>)lls by every citizen wlio believes in a republican 
form of governnu;nt 

Jiesolvcd, That the attempt of the Re])ubli('aii party to form a 
combination with disall'ected Democrats, and all who are op})osed to 
the regular Dem jci'atic organiziitiou in this city, is a shallow device 
to induce Democrats to do the servile work of the Ri'puhlican ])aity, 
elect the Republican ticket and support RejMiblican ni(!asures. 

All Democrats who form an alliance with tiie Jiepublicans in this 
campaign cmisc to be Democrats and become Rej)ublicans. 

First- -They vote to elect or aid in the election of Republii;an 
members of the Senate and Assembly. 

Second — They vote for and aid the election of Repul)lican State 
Senators who will vote iov a Republican United Stites Senator. 

Third — By voting for and aiding in the electi<m of Republican 
State Senators they vote in favor of securing a R(;publican majority 
in the State S<riate so as to prtivent Governor Rol)inson having a 
Democratic Senate to confirm his nominations for State oth<!ers. In 
this way Repul)lican Ib^ads of Uepartments, Re})ul)lican Harbor 
jMasters, Republican Tort Wardens, in shoit, Re|)ublican State 



16 

officials all over the State, whose terms long since expired, will be 
kept ill office. In other words, those who combine with the Repub- 
licans in this cam)jai<4'n with reference to the city, connty or State 
ticket vote to give the Kepublicau party the entire patronage of the 
State. 

Fourth — They vote or aid in the election of R(!publican Assembly- 
men and Senators, who, in the Legislature, will oppose and, if pos- 
sible, prevent the passage of a just Apportionment Bill, to the end 
that a Republican minority- in the State may always succeed in elect- 
ing a majority in both houses of the Legislature. 

Fifth — They vote to disfranchise one hundred and fifty thousand 
(15(1,000) Democrats in New York and Brooklyn, so tar as voting for 
the most important city otlices be concerned, and in this respect to 
place them on a level with State Prison convicts. 

Rt'^olmd, That from this time until tlie close of the election, on 
the Oth day of November next, the Empire State and the Empire 
( Uty expect all Democrats and all honest citizens to do their duty — 
their whole duty — and thwart the machinations of would-be assas- 
sisns of the caiise of Democracy, and traitors to a repul)lican consti- 
tutional government." 

To prevent the disfranchisement of over two-thirds of the Demo- 
cratic voters in cities, 1 »y means of wdiicL the Democratic cities 
of tlie State would liave been manacled hand and foot, and 
handed over to liepublicans for all time ; to prevent this 
catastrophe, and preserve the vital principle of a Re})ublican 
form of government — universal sulfra-ge— the regular Demo- 
cratic party in this city, whose headquarters are at Tammany 
Hall, fonght night and day, in season and out of season, at all 
times and places, iintil the close of the polls on the day of elec- 
tion. The Democracy won such a splendid and signal victory, 
that the Republican party and the small sprinkling of Anti- 
Tammany Democrats, in the Legislature of 1878, dared not ex- 
ecute the plot against universal suft'rage. Let the fact be re- 
mendjtu-ed that this, the regular, the Tamnian}- Hall Democratic 
organization, stood by the workingmen in the hour of peril and 
preserved to tliem the.right of suHVago ; so that in respect to 
this invaluable right the poorest man among them stands upon 
an entire equality with the wealthiest man iq)on this continent. 
This organization, like all others, should bo judged by its 
official action. 1 woukl noi seek to hold an Anti-Tammany 
organization responsible for Avhat individual mendjers might, in 
their individual capacity say or do, especially if their course 



17 

Avas not ill liavmoiiy with the olKcial action, phitforni or ])ro- 
ceedings of the organization itself. Hut when our Anti-Tam- 
many friends in Convention or in Committee, take specific action; 
when as a l)arty or rather as a " combination" they commit them- 
selves to a particular course^, tlicy cannot esca])e tlie proper re- 
sponsibility. I have alluded to their antecedents and their ])re- 
sent attitude, not in a s[)irit of nnkindness, but simply because, 
as the Chairman of this orgnnizatioii, I thought it right and 
})roper, in view of the facts and circumstances to which I have 
referred, that I should defend — or ratlnsr by its })ast record 
])rove — its integrity and its loyalty to the cause of the Demo- 
cracy' and good government. 

AVhile we deem it of the highest importance to secure to the 
people of this city an economical, efficient and excelhmt muni- 
cipal government, we must at the same time concentrate our 
attention on State and National art'aiis. Let Democrats sec to 
it that at the close of the polls, on the otli day of November, the 
victory of the Democratic party in this State is signal and com- 
plete! Of one thing our foes may ri^st assunnl. Whatever course 
others may take ; whether they bi; true or false to their party 
and the best interests of the State, tliis organization, through 
sunshine and storm, in prosperity and adversity, come what 
may, under anj' and all circumstances, will fight to the last, and 
do all in its })()wer in municipal, State and National affairs, to 
promote the cause of good government, and the success of the 
Democratic party. 



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